Major Gainesville project considered

Environmentalists raise questions about the proposed subdivision planned by Plum Creek for the effect on wetlands and on the source of county creeks.

By MEGAN ROLLANDSun staff writer

Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc., the largest land owner in the United States and Alachua County is branching out with its first development in the area, a proposed 1,890-home subdivision north of Gainesville.

Originally the proposal was submitted as a partnership between Plum Creek, a timberland owner, which sells trees to various harvesters, and the master-planned community developer LandMar Group, LLC.

Todd Powell, director of development for Plum Creek, said the company has since split ways with LandMar and is now moving forward with the project without a homebuilder in line.

"At the end of the day, no matter who comes in to do the horizontal development, this will be looked at as a Plum Creek project," Powell said.

However, local environmentalists have questioned the appropriateness of developing what was a "strategic ecosystem" in Alachua County and now is labeled a "significant ecological community" in Gainesville.

Of the roughly 65,000 acres Plum Creek owns in Alachua County, Powell said that this tract of land is uniquely ripe for development.

"As growth has come out to us the highest and best use of the land has changed," he said. LandMar originally looked through Plum Creek's holdings and identified the tract of land for the development, Powell said, and the companies worked together to have a portion of the land annexed into Gainesville in 2006.

About 36 percent of the land is undrained wetlands, and three Gainesville creeks - Turkey, Rocky and Hatchet creeks - originate on the property.

"If you had a development that really changed the water table in that area, it's possible that you could affect the steams' condition all over the county really," said Mark Garland, environmental coordinator for the city of Gainesville. "The city needs to be careful about going into these areas."

The mixed-use development proposed for 1,778 acres of forested land straddling State Road 121 north of U.S. 441 was preliminarily approved by city commissioners in December for a land-use change that would allow the level of density desired by Plum Creek.

Gainesville city commissioners will vote on the land-use change again tonight, which would be the first of three hurdles Plum Creek faces to changing the state's comprehensive land use for the land.

The change would allow 1.5 single-family homes per acre on 1,080 acres, and "village centers" with up to 80,000 square feet of retail space and 20,000 square feet of commercial space on about 91 acres.

Plum Creek would place the remaining 608 acres in permanent conservation, leaving all of the wetlands undeveloped and preserving 485 acres of uplands.

If the proposed change in the comprehensive plan were denied, Plum Creek would still be able to develop the land under the current county restrictions of one house per 5 acres.

"Part of the beautiful aspect of Gainesville is there's a lot of land that is environmentally sensitive," Powell said. "We have the vested rights to develop this at one unit per 5 acres with septic tanks. It wouldn't be the right thing to do, though. There's a certain responsibility that comes with being the largest land owner in the county."

Powell argues that the development being proposed would be a statewide model for low-impact construction and design, adding that they are agreeing to some of the strictest development guidelines within the city.

Garland, however, remains skeptical.

"My personal feeling is that it's a little bit too intense of a land change," he said.

Robert Hutchinson, executive director of Alachua County Trust, said Plum Creek has shown a commitment to land conservation with more than 26,000 acres of land given or sold for preservation in Alachua County.

"I can say nothing but good things about dealing with Plum Creek," Hutchinson said.

"I think it's possible for (Plum Creek) to develop some of that site and do it in a responsible manner," he said. "But I also know it's possible to over-develop a site like that and that will be up to the city's planners to determine."

The land, while not pristine due to the commercial logging and planting that has occurred there, was part of several conservation lists, Garland said.

He is more skeptical of the buffers and storm-water retention plans Plum Creek has presented.

"The applicants have agreed to following all kinds of conditions ... wider buffers around wetlands, low-impact development that mimics the existing situation with stormwater," Garland said. "Frankly, I'm a little suspicious that they can do those things because the areas are so wet. You're going to have to either fill it or drain it."

Megan Rolland can be reached at 338-3104 or megan.rolland@gvillesun.com.

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